The 2.0-liter hybrid version of Ford's next Fusion looks like beating them by quite a way. According to Bloomberg, Ford said the 2013 Fusion Hybrid will get 47 miles per gallon city, and 44 highway.

Ford was the first U.S. manufacturer to sell a hybrid vehicle, and models like the Escape hybrid have been racking up huge mileages in near-total reliability as taxis in cities like New York and San Francisco.

Ford's hybrid technology has been developing at quite a rate too - from holding 30 patents a decade ago, it now as 461 patents relating to its gasoline-electric drivetrains. Ford says its engineers are competitive, and says the competition between Camry and Fusion will be even better for consumers.

The company wants a greater share of the advanced technology car market, and expects hybrids and plug-in vehicles to account for 10 to 25 percent of global sales by 2020 - so the benefits for mastering the technology early are clear.

Ford's new Fusion hybrid will go on sale in the fall. An even more efficient plug-in version, dubbed Energi, will follow.